Jumbo - QuickStep merger

[Rackham]

No, not at all. Remco's manager wanted SQS to be at the level of INEOS and JV when it comes to the level of staff and riders. He asked the owner if he could make that happen.

If his agent (his father) really did ask that question, then it's entirely rhetorical. Ineos are known for having the biggest budget in pro cycling (whether it's true or not anymore, we don't know, but that's the prevailing accepted opinion). Jumbo Visma meanwhile is known as 'the best team' in pro cycling. So I don't think anyone acting in particularly good faith would knock on the door of the boss at Quick-Step & ask if he can match the level of Ineos investment & also achieve Jumbo's supremacy.

The real truth is Patrick Evenepoel made a huge mistake when he negotiated a long contract for his son at Quick-Step (doesn't he have 3 years left on it?).

That's the beginning, middle & end of all his problems right there. It doesn't matter how much money Ineos is offering or how much he looks at Jumbo & daydreams about Quick-Step having that sort of power, he knew they weren't a GT team with GT expertise, he knew their budget wasn't infinite & he should have known a transformation into a top team cannot be achieved overnight. There's also the fact Evenepoel himself is not the best GT rider in the world either.

So that's a lot of caveats for someone who wants the best environment & best pay right here & now.

 

[IndianCyclist]

I think both of the Patricks were expecting "Veni Vedi Vici" scenario which means he will win inspite of team strength. Now that Vinge has proved that it is extremely hard to dislodge Pogi without a team and doubts about Remco being able to match their stratospheric climbing prowess, in hindsight it sounds extremely foolish

 

[Berniece]

If his agent (his father) really did ask that question, then it's entirely rhetorical. Ineos are known for having the biggest budget in pro cycling (whether it's true or not anymore, we don't know, but that's the prevailing accepted opinion). Jumbo Visma meanwhile is known as 'the best team' in pro cycling. So I don't think anyone acting in particularly good faith would knock on the door of the boss at Quick-Step & ask if he can match the level of Ineos investment & also achieve Jumbo's supremacy.

The real truth is Patrick Evenepoel made a huge mistake when he negotiated a long contract for his son at Quick-Step (doesn't he have 3 years left on it?).

That's the beginning, middle & end of all his problems right there. It doesn't matter how much money Ineos is offering or how much he looks at Jumbo & daydreams about Quick-Step having that sort of power, he knew they weren't a GT team with GT expertise, he knew their budget wasn't infinite & he should have known a transformation into a top team cannot be achieved overnight. There's also the fact Evenepoel himself is not the best GT rider in the world either.

So that's a lot of caveats for someone who wants the best environment & best pay right here & now.

It's about best environment, not the best pay. And I don't believe that's something weird to ask for if the goal of the team is to win the TDF. His manager just made clear to the team owner that how it's currently going they aren't good enough to achieve that goal.

That Evenepoel is currently in the position of having to stay at SQS for so long is indeed his, and his manager's fault. But I don't feel that that has anything to do with the promise of a team being build around Evenepoel, and that the targets are not being met to win the TDF. It would have given them more leverage, to find their luck elsewhere, but the whole idea of this long term contract was to build a team around Evenepoel. SQS is not meeting those expectations at the moment.

 

[Bolder]

I think both of the Patricks were expecting "Veni Vedi Vici" scenario which means he will win inspite of team strength. Now that Vinge has proved that it is extremely hard to dislodge Pogi without a team and doubts about Remco being able to match their stratospheric climbing prowess, in hindsight it sounds extremely foolish

At the time Remco signed QS were dominant in one-day races so it didn't seem crazy to think that the team and Remco could become GC threats in tandem. The idea of a Belgian rider as the centerpiece of the highest profile Belgian team is a good aspiration.

Things don't always work out but aside from the key mistake of doing the Giro without the proper prep and injury recovery, Remco's doing all right. I give him a pass on the 2023 Giro because of covid, and he apparently just had one horror day in the Vuelta. He did win a GT which isn't an everyday occurance for a Belgian team or rider...

 

[Oldermanish]

If his agent (his father) really did ask that question, then it's entirely rhetorical. Ineos are known for having the biggest budget in pro cycling (whether it's true or not anymore, we don't know, but that's the prevailing accepted opinion). Jumbo Visma meanwhile is known as 'the best team' in pro cycling. So I don't think anyone acting in particularly good faith would knock on the door of the boss at Quick-Step & ask if he can match the level of Ineos investment & also achieve Jumbo's supremacy.

The real truth is Patrick Evenepoel made a huge mistake when he negotiated a long contract for his son at Quick-Step (doesn't he have 3 years left on it?).

That's the beginning, middle & end of all his problems right there. It doesn't matter how much money Ineos is offering or how much he looks at Jumbo & daydreams about Quick-Step having that sort of power, he knew they weren't a GT team with GT expertise, he knew their budget wasn't infinite & he should have known a transformation into a top team cannot be achieved overnight. There's also the fact Evenepoel himself is not the best GT rider in the world either.

So that's a lot of caveats for someone who wants the best environment & best pay right here & now.

Daddy Pat banked on believing QS Pat; who locked up the best future talent for years. There couldn't be a guarantee more money would flow just from that or that Lefevre would now attract a support rider staff because everyone would want to be Remco's dom. Fire the agent, Remco.

 

[fmk_RoI]

At the time Remco signed QS were dominant in one-day races so it didn't seem crazy to think that the team and Remco could become GC threats in tandem.

Apart from the fact that throughout Pat's career in management her personally has failed to marry the two disciplines.

 

[CyclistAbi]

So it looks like all parties involved took a step back. Still not much was resolved by doing that.

JV still needs someone like Soudal. To step in instead of Jumbo. Rogla out, hence from sport side of things i assume season 2024 could be much less fruitful.

Remco likely hoped for the merger to happen. He would be out of contract with SOQ and could sign for Ineos. I assume he is not all that happy staying at SOQ.

So all in all i feel that this saga to continue. If nothing to happen in October then likely some movement again in 2024 season.

 

[Oldermanish]

Apart from the fact that throughout Pat's career in management her personally has failed to marry the two disciplines.

This is where he reminds me of Bill Bellichek, now. Too comfortable with what he knows instead of uncomfortable with what he doesn't. His sponsors have been relatively corporate cycling fans. Kinda like Mapei until the entire team was an embarrassment of outlandish cheating.

 

[Rob5091]

https://velo.outsideonline.com/road...ega-merger-a-lot-of-damage-and-little-result/
(quote)Soudal Quick-Step team chairman Bessel Kok spoke to Het Laatste Nieuws of a rancor that’s brewed in the “Wolf Pack” in was has been a tumultuous past month for the team.

Scores of Quick-Step riders and staffers were plunged into uncertainty through the ongoing reports of a merger-turn-takeover by their Dutch rivals.

The project has since been shelved, but Kok suggested this weekend that discontent has spread through the Belgian squad.

“That has caused a lot of unrest and a movement within the team,” Kok said. “They felt like they were being traded. Maybe in some strange way they will come out stronger.”

“Soudal is staying, but the team did take a hit,” Kok said.

Kok also reminded HLN that Zdenek Bakala, the multi-millionaire that co-owns the squad with Patrick Lefevere, won’t be around forever.

The Czech investor has been steadily withdrawing from the team and his total exit would leave a significant gap in Quick-Step’s budget. Lefevere was also eyeing his own escape route from day-to-day management with a proposed board member role at “Soudal-Visma”.

“We’ll see whether this failure will reduce Bakala’s interest in the team,” ,” Kok said. “He told Patrick Lefevere that he wants to stay behind the team for another year, until 2025. That’s a new statement, a shortening of his commitment.” (end quote)

So could this be the beginning of the end for QS?

 

[Rob5091]

Just when you thought it was safe to ... umm ... read the news again -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/jumbo-visma-becomes-visma-lease-a-bike-in-2024
(quote)Jumbo will pull out of the Jumbo-Visma team as a sponsor. This was known, and led to a sponsor chase which even led to a possible merger with Soudal - Quick-Step. That has been pulled off the table, but the Dutch team will certainly become Visma - Lease a Bike into 2024.

This has been reported by Wielerflits, who argue that several sources have confirmed this information. Lease a Bike is a bike leasing company which works in the Benelux and Germany - continuing to target the same sponsor audience. This is no coincidence however, the company is owned by Pon who equally own the Cervélo bike brand - currently used by the Dutch team (end quote)

 

[Rob5091]

So how many people are going to ring up Visma to lease a bike is the first question?

 

[RedheadDane]

Just when you thought it was safe to ... umm ... read the news again -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/jumbo-visma-becomes-visma-lease-a-bike-in-2024
(quote)Jumbo will pull out of the Jumbo-Visma team as a sponsor. This was known, and led to a sponsor chase which even led to a possible merger with Soudal - Quick-Step. That has been pulled off the table, but the Dutch team will certainly become Visma - Lease a Bike into 2024.

This has been reported by Wielerflits, who argue that several sources have confirmed this information. Lease a Bike is a bike leasing company which works in the Benelux and Germany - continuing to target the same sponsor audience. This is no coincidence however, the company is owned by Pon who equally own the Cervélo bike brand - currently used by the Dutch team (end quote)

Still safe from the disaster that the proposed merger would have been.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

The new team name Visma - Lab is a little on the nose.

 

[theyoungest]

So as a lot of people already suspected they didn't actually find a new sponsor. Lease a Bike is just Pon Holdings trying to give one of their brand names a bit more name recognition. It's probably comparable to Marc Coucke and his team changing name every year (Silence-Lotto, Davitamon-Lotto, Predictor-Lotto, Omega Pharma... all the same company).

 

[Bolder]

It does make sense for Pon, which has a lot of mobility oriented businesses besides bikes, to sponsor a team. But I bet they're doing so a bit under duress.

Maybe this just gives the team principals more time to find a really deep pocketed sponsor. And certainly simpler than tryin to merge with SQS.

It does look more and more like Soudal and the SQS team were being played for fools here. Maybe there will be something positive out of this, if riders like Asgreen and Alaf can get their mojo back. Don't think it's a positive for Remco, however. And I genuinely want to see him do well in the Tour.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Maybe this just gives the team principals more time to find a really deep pocketed sponsor. And certainly simpler than tryin to merge with SQS.

They had Jumbo for another year. So that's that idea killed.

 

[fmk_RoI]

“They felt like they were being traded. Maybe in some strange way they will come out stronger.”

Kok by name...

 

[theyoungest]

It does look more and more like Soudal and the SQS team were being played for fools here. Maybe there will be something positive out of this, if riders like Asgreen and Alaf can get their mojo back. Don't think it's a positive for Remco, however. And I genuinely want to see him do well in the Tour.

Not really. According to reports the main problem was the bike sponsor, and Evenepoel's contract with Specialized. Pon simply refused to be shoved aside. You could say this was a rather elaborate plot to get Pon to pay up, but there would probably have been easier ways to do so.

 

[Rackham]

Just when you thought it was safe to ... umm ... read the news again -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/jumbo-visma-becomes-visma-lease-a-bike-in-2024
(quote)Jumbo will pull out of the Jumbo-Visma team as a sponsor. This was known, and led to a sponsor chase which even led to a possible merger with Soudal - Quick-Step. That has been pulled off the table, but the Dutch team will certainly become Visma - Lease a Bike into 2024.

Did someone say Lisa bike?

 

[wheresmybrakes]

So how many people are going to ring up Visma to lease a bike is the first question?

Looks like other teams are gonna have to stay friendly to Visma if they need to lease a neutral service bike half way up the Stelvio next year.

 

[Bolder]

They had Jumbo for another year. So that's that idea killed.

Yeah, I agree with that, too. But maybe Pon's support is implicitly for a longer time, or Jumbo was ready to break their contract earlier. I don't really know how to explain Jumbo pulling out early but Pon only officially signing up for one year...

 

[staubsauger]

So as a lot of people already suspected they didn't actually find a new sponsor. Lease a Bike is just Pon Holdings trying to give one of their brand names a bit more name recognition. It's probably comparable to Marc Coucke and his team changing name every year (Silence-Lotto, Davitamon-Lotto, Predictor-Lotto, Omega Pharma... all the same company).

They should have taken sponsorship from Danish pharmacy enterprise Lundbeck.

Nembutal-Visma sounds legit given the way Vingegaard & Co killed off competition this summer!

 

[fmk_RoI]

But maybe Pon's support is implicitly for a longer time, or Jumbo was ready to break their contract earlier.

Jumbo always said they've leave earlier if they were replaced. Which suggests that Pon are ponying up more than Jumbo would have in 2024.

 

[Izzyeviel]

It always seems to be that Specialized *** every deal up. Cav to B&B Hotels, Sagan, QS & Ineos, QS & Jumbo...

At this rate the only merger that'll happen is between QS & Bora.

 

[Red Rick]

To me it honestly seems like the merger was never that close and just way oversold in the media, especially judging by how quickly Jumbo have moved on to another name sponsor.